The present application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. xc2xa7119 to Japanese Patent Application Nos. 2001-042272, 2001-042274, and 2001-042276, filed on Feb. 19, 2001, the entire contents thereof are hereby incorporated by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a remote lock operation apparatus for a light vehicle having no cabin. It is to be noted that the xe2x80x9clight vehicle having no cabinxe2x80x9d in the present invention may be any of a two-wheel car, a three-wheel car and a four-wheel car of the saddle-ride type and the seated type, and may include or not include a prime mover. For example, a motorcycle, a scooter, a bicycle and so forth are included in the two-wheel car.
2. Description of Background Art
In a conventional motorcycle, scooter or the like, various locking mechanisms for preventing theft or mischief such as, for example, a main stand locking apparatus, a steering handle locking apparatus, a seat locking apparatus and so forth are provided at suitable locations of a vehicle body. Those locking mechanisms can be locked and unlocked arbitrarily by a driver operating a locking operation section provided on the vehicle body side through a key operation.
Meanwhile, in four-wheel cars in recent years, an apparatus wherein a door locking mechanism can be locked and unlocked without a key by means of a remote lock operation apparatus which uses an infrared signal. In the conventional apparatus of the type mentioned, in order to assure a wide angle of directivity for an infrared signal, several infrared receivers are disposed discretely at suitable locations of a vehicle.
Thus, it is a possible idea to make it possible to lock and unlock the locking mechanism for a light vehicle such as a motorcycle having no cabin without a key by means of a remote lock operation apparatus which uses an infrared signal.
In this instance, since the light vehicle is different from a four-wheel automobile in that the capacity of a battery incorporated therein is considerably small, if several infrared receivers are used simultaneously as in a four-wheel automobile, then the total standby current is excessively high when compared with the battery capacity. This may possibly give rise to frequent occurrences of consumption of the battery, resulting in failure in starting of the engine, damage to the durability of the battery and so forth.
Additionally, the light vehicle is different from a four-wheel automobile in that it does not have a strong cabin which is surrounded by a roof, a side door and so forth, and an entire appearance of the vehicle body including a handle part and members around the handle part is exposed widely to the outside. Accordingly, when it is intended to provide an infrared receiver on an outer face of such a vehicle body as just described, it is desired to prevent the infrared receiver from being damaged simply through a collision or contact with some other element.
Meanwhile, the directivity required for an infrared receiver for the light vehicle generally is within the range of 45 degrees on the left and the right with respect to a longitudinal center line of the vehicle body as viewed rearwardly from the position of the left and right handle grips of the vehicle in the forward and backward direction of the vehicle body as seen in FIG. 1. Accordingly, the mounted position of the infrared receiver is preferably set to such a position at which the receiver can cover at least the directivity range without being influenced by the seat or a vehicle body rear portion.
Further, if the infrared receiver is exposed to the direct rays of the sun in the daytime, then a noise signal from the rays of the sun is mixed into a reception signal by the receiver, and there is the possibility that the signal to noise ratio (SN ratio) of the receiver may be deteriorated and the communication reliability with an infrared transmitter may be deteriorated as much. Accordingly, upon installation of the infrared receiver, it is desired to prevent the infrared receiver from being less likely to be exposed to the direct rays of the sun in the daytime.
The present invention has been proposed taking the foregoing into consideration, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a remote lock operation apparatus for a light vehicle which satisfies the requirement described above and is simple in structure.
In order to attain the object described above, according to the present invention, a remote lock operation apparatus for a light vehicle having no cabin includes a portable infrared transmitter, an infrared receiver capable of receiving an infrared signal emitted from the infrared transmitter, a lock actuator capable of locking and unlocking a lock mechanism incorporated in a vehicle body, and a control apparatus for controlling operation of the lock actuator based on the infrared signal received by the infrared receiver. Further, the infrared receiver is disposed at the center of a vehicle body front half portion in a vehicle widthwise direction with a reception face thereof directed rearwardly and is placed at a height at which reception of an infrared signal emitted from rearwardly is not disturbed by a vehicle accessory or a vehicle body rear portion on the rear side with respect to the receiver.
According to the present invention as described above, since the layout of the infrared receiver is such as described above, the range of directivity of the infrared receiver required for a light vehicle of the type described can be covered readily without being influenced by the seat or the vehicle body rear portion. Accordingly, the necessary directivity can be assured even with the only one infrared receiver, and the number of infrared receivers to be used can be reduced to the utmost. Therefore, the standby current of the infrared receiver can be reduced to a level with which consumption of a battery does not occur even if the capacity of the battery is small. Consequently, failure in starting of an engine by consumption of the battery can be prevented, and also, the durability of the battery is raised.
Further, the present invention is directed to a remote lock operation apparatus for a light vehicle having a bar handle connected to an upper end portion of a steering shaft for steering a front wheel, and an inner cover fixed to a vehicle body front portion for covering the rear side of the steering shaft below the bar handle having no cabin. The invention includes a portable infrared transmitter, an infrared receiver capable of receiving an infrared signal emitted from the infrared transmitter, a lock actuator capable of locking and unlocking a lock mechanism incorporated in a vehicle body, and a control apparatus for controlling operation of the lock actuator based on the infrared signal received by the infrared receiver, wherein the infrared receiver is disposed on a rear face of the inner cover.
Thus, even though the light vehicle does not have a strong cabin, since the infrared receiver is provided on the rear face of the inner cover, the infrared receiver is less likely to be damaged through a collision or contact with other elements. Further, the receiver can be protected effectively from falling down and so forth and the reliability in traveling is raised. Also, since the inner cover is positioned below the bar handle (particularly, in a light vehicle of the type wherein a handle is covered with a handle cover, the handle cover), the infrared receiver provided on the inner cover is less likely to be exposed to the direct rays of the sun in the daytime. Consequently, deterioration of the SN ratio of the receiver is suppressed effectively, and the communication reliability between the transmission and receivers is raised. Further, since an upper portion of the inner cover is provided at a comparatively high position spaced forwardly away from a seat and a vehicle body rear portion, where the infrared receiver is disposed at the upper portion of the inner cover, the range of directivity of the infrared receiver required for the light vehicle can be covered readily without being influenced by the seat or the vehicle body rear portion to the utmost.
Further, the present invention also includes a remote lock operation apparatus for a light vehicle, wherein a concave face hollow to the front side of the vehicle body or an inclined face inclined rearwardly downwards is formed on the rear face of the inner cover, and the infrared receiver is provided on the concave face or the inclined face. The infrared receiver is further less likely to be damaged through a collision or contact with some other element and can be protected more effectively from falling down. In addition, the infrared receiver is further less likely to be exposed to the direct rays of the sun in the daytime and the communication reliability is further raised.
In order to attain the object described above, the present invention is directed to a remote lock operation apparatus for a light vehicle without a cabin and having a bar handle for steering a front wheel and a handle cover for covering a central portion of the bar handle are disposed on the front side and on the upper side with respect to a seat. The invention includes a portable infrared transmitter, an infrared receiver capable of receiving an infrared signal emitted from the infrared transmitter, a lock actuator capable of locking and unlocking a lock mechanism incorporated in a vehicle body, and a control apparatus for controlling operation of the lock actuator based on the infrared signal received by the infrared receiver, wherein the infrared receiver is disposed on a rear portion outer face of the handle cover which is inclined rearwardly downwards.
Thus, although the light vehicle does not have a strong cabin, since the infrared receiver is provided on the rear portion outer face of the handle cover, the infrared receiver is less likely to be damaged through a collision or contact with other elements. Further, it can be protected effectively from falling down, and the reliability in traveling can be raised. In addition, since the infrared receiver is provided on the rearwardly inclined rear portion outer face of the handle cover, it is less likely to be exposed to the direct rays of the sun in the daytime. Consequently, deterioration of the SN ratio of the receiver is suppressed effectively, and the communication reliability between the transmitter and receiver is raised. Further, since the handle cover is usually provided at a higher position than the seat or the vehicle body rear portion, through the fact that the infrared receiver is disposed on the rear portion outer face of such a handle cover as just described, the range of directivity of the infrared receiver required for the light vehicle can be covered readily without being influenced by the seat or the vehicle body rear portion to the utmost.
Further scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.